THE OAMARU TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 April 1918, Page 8

THE OAMARU TRAGEDY.

m , 1 THE SEARCH UNSUCCESSFUL. Oamaru, Last Night. Although a whole fortnight has passed since the murder of George Burke, at Gemmel's Crossing, on the Kakanui River, the police state that they have no authentic evidence of Onslow Mayhew, who is suspected of the crime, having been seen since he disappeared on the night of the tragedy. A diligent search has been made of the Kakanui River bed and the countryside in the vicinity, but no trace or sign of Mayhew has been found."'** As far as the police can ascertain, no settler for miles around has misssed any food, and nothing has been disturbed which would indicate south-west of the scene of the tragedy, Mounted, police have patrolled the back country roads and have visited the wayback stations, one party of mounted police going through Dansey's Pass as far as Naseby. The set/tiers on the Maeraweka Setlement, a few miles scuth-west of the scene of the tragedy, , emphatically declare that a man has been seen on several occasions in the dusk of tha evening, whose presence in the vicinity so far hag not been explained. On Tuesday evening, at a quarter to six, the wife of a settler, living in one of tie loneliest parts of the settlemen, saw a man cross the road about three hundred yards from the house and disappear into a plantation, while her husband declares that a little later he saw the same stranger making towards tlhe settler's house. The settler hurried inside to prepare for any emergency, and on reappearing almost immediately discovered that bhe stranger bad disappeared. The next evening the wifo of another settler aibout two miles farther west wag returning about halfpast 5 through the fields from a neighboring farm. To reach her home it was necessary to cross a small stream by stepping from point to point. The woman bad just got across the stream, wfoen she came face to face with a strange man in a sitting position among the high rushes. The woman got.such a surprise that she only glanced at tha intruder and hurried to her home, about 150 yards distant. She declares that the stranger was a big man and bad a considerable growth of whiskers on his face. The deep impression in the tall grass among the high rushes which sheltered the stranger front the cold wind blowing at times is still plainly visible. The woman rushed to a neighboring settler's house (about a quarter of a mile) in fall sight of the stranger, who made off before assistance was obtained. Mounted police and detectives are busy scouring that locality. The condition of Miss Mary Burke, who was shot through the lung, fe much improved, and she is in very good spirits. Mrs. Bambury is making" good progress. A piece of lead, believed to be, a softnosed bullet, was extarcted from Mrs. Bambury's wound at the beginning of this week. It is suggested 1 by tie settlers that in view of the wide expanse of country to be covered and the anxiety of tha settlers, that the police should 'bj very materially reinforced,, and a day and night search and patrol maintained.